We're in This Together
by shiawasena neko
Summary: Sequel to A Better Place and Time. Ichabod Crane ends up in modern times. (ON HIATUS)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the sequel to "A Better Place and Time". Thanks to Dionne Dance for her help with this.**

Ch. 1

Pain. As consciousness invaded his body, he winced at the spasms going through his neck and shoulder. He moved to squeeze the cramping muscle and encountered an elbow that was putting very sharp pressure at the top of his collarbone. Well, that explained a lot.

Ichabod gently shifted out from under Angie's arm and rubbed his shoulder. How did her elbow land there? He dimly remembered them collapsing against the headboard to watch the news after returning from Christmas dinner with Carla. They were both going to be sore. Ichabod was torn between letting Angie sleep and waking her up to get out of that contorted position.

He decided to compromise. He'd let her sleep a little longer while a hot shower relaxed his shoulder, and then wake her. Oh how he loved hot showers. Of all the modern conveniences he'd discovered in the past 8 months, hot showers were the best. And such a good place to sort out your thoughts.

Ichabod Crane had a lot of thoughts to sort out. His life had been a blur of constant change since that strange blue light had brought him into the modern world from the 18th century. So many new experiences and not all of them exclusive to this time period.

He was so grateful that Angela and her estranged husband, Steve, had given him a home and helped him try to integrate into a new life. That had been his sole aim for so long. But since realizing that Steve was unfaithful, was hurting Angie, Ichabod's focus had changed.

He sighed as the hot water hit the back of his neck. If he was honest with himself, he'd have to admit that he had been in love with Angie from the minute he opened his eyes to find her stroking his hair and soothing his head with a compress. He could remember the feeling of her wavy black hair touching his face as she leaned over him.

He had tried to keep his distance, out of respect for her marriage to Steve. Not to mention the fear of embarrassing himself, a schoolboy crush on a married woman. Women never paid attention to him. But it was difficult; she always seemed to be comforting him.

And then he had met Jane. She had been so forward. Ichabod knew times were different, but had trouble figuring out what was socially appropriate in this time period. Jane…she had made him feel so desperate for human contact and affection. He scoffed at himself. After experiencing the love and affection of friends over the holiday, he realized than Jane was self serving and had not really cared about him. He felt foolish for thinking he had offered to marry her.

Thinking about Jane made him feel a little sad. He had enjoyed his brief, anxiety ridden sexual experience with her. He missed that, the sex, not the anxiety. In a perfect world, he would have love, affection, friendship, acceptance, and sex. Hmmm, that sounded like his relationship with Angie except for the sex. He blushed just thinking about it. How did he let her know that he wanted to be more than just a friend? What if she didn't feel the same way?

He shuddered when he remembered the kiss she had given him on Christmas Eve. He knew she only did it to make fun of Enzo. He huffed at himself. It was just unfair. He wanted that kiss to be real. He wanted to press her closer and…. "Stop that!" he scolded himself. Ichabod decided to save some hot water for Angie and finished his shower.

He grabbed a towel and his thoughts raced on. When was it appropriate to move the relationship forward? Now? How would he know when she was ready? Or was there a set time period after the divorce was final? Divorces were uncommon in his time. Who could he even ask? No one he was close to knew about his past except Angie and Steve, and how could he ask them?

He wished he could find a way to talk to Carla about it. She was so understanding. Hmm. Angie had said something about his family being missionaries. He smirked to himself. He wondered what she'd think when she discovered that his father had been a minister. Angie had made it sound like missionaries were out of touch with the modern world. Maybe he could use that as an excuse to talk to Carla. She already knew he had feelings for Angie.

He dressed quickly and stepped into the other room to see Angie was still sound asleep. An evil thought crossed his mind.

He jerked all of the blankets off the bed and pulled her upright. "Wake up, sleeping beauty. Our new home awaits!"

Angie curled into a fetal position, growling at him and snatching at thin air for the blankets.

"Come on, Angie. Wakey, wakey. Carla. 45 minutes. Apartments. Remember?"

00

After touring the three units Carla had available, Ichabod and Angie were leaning towards a two bedroom unit on the 10th floor. It had a large living room, a galley kitchen, and a large bathroom. Being a corner unit, it was bright and cheery. The large windows offered lots of natural light, and the kitchen, though small, had a decent view.

"I think this is the one," Angie said, as she inspected the kitchen appliances.

"I agree," Ichabod added. "It's lovely."

"Great!" Carla smiled at them. "From what Angie said, it's well within your budget too. You can move in as soon as it's repainted."

"Hmm." Ichabod studied the walls. The paint was slightly chipped in some places, but it wasn't overly noticeable. "I'd be willing to move in sooner and skip the painting, if it was alright with Angie." He knew Angie was going stir crazy where they were, and wanted to get her settled as quickly as possible.

Angie looked around. "It's really not that bad. I'd be fine with that, too." She smiled at Ichabod, grateful that he had come up with a way to get them out of that hotel faster.

Carla smiled, "Alright. You've got a deal. You can move in whenever you want, just, no complaints until after the first, okay?"

"No problem!" Angie replied. "Thank you!"

"Of course. We can go sign the papers now if you want."

As they walked down the hallway towards the elevator, Enzo spoke up for the first time all morning.

"So, Carla, you know that one bedroom unit? If you're open to renting it to me, that would be great."

Carla stopped walking.

"Why? Aren't you going back to DC?"

"Yeah, about that. I got a call from Father Carlson at St. Thomas School. They're looking for a new gym teacher, and he wanted me to drop by for a talk while I was here for the holidays. I wasn't really interested but considering all that's happened recently… Maybe moving back to New York would be a good idea."

"Seriously?!" Angie asked. "You're coming home?!"

"If I get the job, then yes."

Angie couldn't contain her excitement. Not only were she and Ichabod getting a fresh start together, but her brother was coming back as well!

She pulled Enzo into a big hug, and then did the same with Ichabod and Carla. She couldn't believe how much had changed for the better, and just since the beginning of Christmas break. Maybe things would work out after all.

"Ok!" Angie said, looking at Enzo with a mischievous grin, "Now you get to help me figure out how to break the news to mom and dad!"

Enzo's expression froze. Yeah, that was going to be fun. He smiled back at her, shaking his head in disbelief. But he was just glad to see her so happy. Yeah, he'd help her out, keep an eye on her. That's what big brothers are for.


	2. Chapter 2

Many, many thanks to Dionne Dance for all of her help with this.

Ch. 2

Ichabod found himself walking purposefully through the woods. It was bitterly cold. His muscles ached from exertion. He could tell from the adrenalin buzzing through his system that he was stressed and terrified. He jolted as he heard footsteps rushing towards him.

"Sir, what happened in the cave? Please, wait up!" It was Young Masbeth. Young Masbeth? What happened to the future, New York, his Angie? He slowed down to allow the boy to catch up while he gathered his thoughts.

"Sir, what is that?" Masbeth was pointing at a tree directly in front of Ichabod.

Ichabod watched in fascination as the beautiful blue light seemed to grow from a hollow in the tree. He was drawn to it, but knew it was dangerous.

"Stand back, Masbeth! I will investigate." Ichabod cautiously leaned towards the tree. It was as if he were magnetically being drawn into the light.

"Ichabod…." A soft voice called.

"Katrina? Is that you? Show yourself! Please Katrina, where are you?"

Ichabod could feel gentle fingers stroking through his hair as the sad, haunting voice of Katrina caressed his ears.

"I cannot cure the world, my love." Katrina's voice began to fade as the blue light swirled and surrounded Ichabod. "I will have to settle for making you live happy in it."

A great roaring wind seemed to form in the light, and Ichabod screamed as he felt an invisible force sucking him in. He landed with a thump on a hard surface.

"I must be back on Angie's front porch," he thought. "At least I hope that's where I am. Please don't tell me I'm in a new place.

He opened his eyes to see Angie leaning over him, stroking his hair and looking worried. His back was killing him.

"You ok? You were having a nightmare. I had trouble waking you."

"Angie? It's so cold out here. Can we go back to bed now? This porch is hurting my back," he replied, softly.

Angie snorted at him. "That must have been some dream. We aren't on a porch. We're in our new apartment, remember? Yes, it is a bit cold. We don't have any furniture. That's why we are sleeping on the floor."

Angie smiled as she watched his mind return to the present. Ichabod looked very much like a lost child. He was irresistible in this vulnerable state between dreams and reality. Her groggy mind allowed her to lean down and give him a chaste kiss.

"Come on, old man. Roll over and spoon up to my back. Surely my bodacious backside can keep your ancient bones warm for a few more hours until it's time for breakfast."

Ichabod froze at the mention of her 'bodacious backside'. He wanted to grab her with both arms and pull her to him as tightly as possible. But he was very afraid. What if she only meant for him to have the minimum contact possible to gain warmth? He didn't want to offend her somehow, by touching her too much or in some unwanted way.

Angie grew impatient with his hesitation. "Fine," she huffed. She rolled Ichabod over and pulled him close, snuggling her face into his back. She immediately drifted back to sleep, her soft snores echoing in the empty room.

Ichabod enjoyed the feeling of her warm breath on his back. Thank God he was still here with Angie. The dream was very disturbing. It reminded him how stark and physical life had been in the past. But it was also reassuring. They may be in an empty apartment, but they had heat, lights, hot water, a place to rest and relax away from the world. He had definitely been in harsher situations.

He wondered what had happened in Sleepy Hollow after he left. Did Young Masbeth survive? Did he follow Ichabod into the blue light, but perhaps end up in a different time? Or did he stay, and solve the mystery by himself. He also found himself thinking of Katrina. Back then he had thought he was falling in love with her. Now, she seemed like a distant acquaintance in a dream.

Had he really heard Katrina's voice from within the light that day, or was that just his dream? Had she been in the trees beyond the light? Was she really in the light, possibly in another time herself? What did her words mean?

Ichabod rolled his eyes. What was he thinking? It was just a dream. At least he hadn't dreamed of the iron maiden behind the red door again.

Ichabod's eyes began to grow heavy. Without thinking, he rolled over to get comfortable and pulled Angie onto his shoulder. The two slept blissfully into the next afternoon.

00

Light poured in through the windows, hitting Angie in the face. Her eyes slowly drifted open. How late had she slept? Based on the sunlight, it had to be past noon. Her stiff muscles were begging her to get up and stretch. But she chose not to move.

She felt at peace for the first time since walking out, and she wanted to savor the feeling. She basked in the quiet atmosphere of the 10th floor and felt free. Free of deceit, stress, and criticism. She even felt a flicker of hope!

"I'm a good person" she thought. "Even if it wasn't meant to be, I gave it my best." Being in her own apartment was deeply satisfying.

She smirked as she remembered Ichabod charming Carla into letting them have this place a week early. What would she do without him?

Angie closed her eyes and sighed. She was glad Enzo was probably going to be moving back to New York. He was the one family member who had never criticized her choice to marry Steve. She was no fool. She knew his many surprise visits over the years had been a subtle way of keeping an eye on her, nudging Steve back into line if he noticed something amiss. She grinned. Subtle. Who would ever use that word to describe Enzo?

Angie was pulled from her thoughts by the sensation of Ichabod nuzzling her neck in his sleep.

She wondered who Ichabod was dreaming of now. He had been calling for Katrina earlier. He had sounded so confident, so authoritative in the dream. The yearning in his voice as he pleaded with Katrina was obvious. What had Sleepy Hollow done to him?

She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, even though she knew it was ridiculous. Really? Jealous? Of a woman he couldn't possibly ever see again, who had been dead for at least 200 years…..but still. She wanted someone to feel such passion for her.

Angie was curious. She wished Ichabod would share more with her about his past, but understood his hesitance. She and Steve had most likely insulted his intelligence when he first arrived, but who could be expected to believe such unlikely stories!

Knowing Ichabod, he was telling the truth. It must seem ridiculous to him that they were perfectly willing to believe that he had traveled from the past within a blue light, but rolled their eyes when he talked about the witches and horseman. To him, all three should have been equally impossible.

She grinned to herself. He had probably insulted the villagers himself when he first arrived. With his rational, scientific method of sorting through any problem, he would have been as adamant in his disbelief as she and Steve were to him. What could have changed his mind?

But still…..Angie shuddered at the thought of any part of those stories being true. She didn't want to think about such things. She was just glad he showed up, and she was certain he was from the past.

Ichabod drew her attention again, as he hit a really nice spot on her neck. Why couldn't he be like this with her when he was awake?

Angie decided it was time for Ichabod to forget about Katrina and Jane. It was time for him to investigate the legend of the Italian libido! She swiftly slid down and returned his kisses, pulling gently on the skin of his neck. She wondered how he would react when he woke up. Whoa! He gripped her possessively and started gasping for breath.

Angie decided to go for broke. She took his face in her hands and captured his lips in a passionate kiss. He responded, biting her lip and gently tasting her as he rolled her over.

"Mmmmm."

Angie felt butterflies fluttering in her belly as he groaned into the kiss. She was almost totally lost in the sensation. What was that? Did he just squeeze her ass? Was he awake or not?

Ichabod's eyes flew open as they heard a loud knock on the door. "Angela!" he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Angie saw the scared, hungry expression in his eyes and gave him a slow smile.

"That was nice."

The insistent knocking came again. "Hey Ange, It's me, open up!" Enzo's booming voice echoed through the apartment.

Ichabod skittered to his feet, having a minor convulsion as he scattered blankets and pillows in his wake.

"Shower" he squeaked.

Angie laughed and shook her head as she went to see what Enzo needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Many thanks to Dionne Dance for her help with this. She pretty much wrote this chapter and the next couple ones.

Ch. 3

Ichabod stood in the steaming shower, still gasping for breath. He was in a full blown panic attack. His mind was overloaded with contrasting thoughts and emotions. His muscles were tight, his stomach in an uproar. He might throw up! "Oh God, please don't let me faint! Breathe, Ichabod, deep breaths…"

He concentrated on sucking in as much air as possible and holding it, slowly letting it out. He folded his arms against the shower wall and pressed his forehead into them, forcing himself to clear his mind as he continued his deep breathing.

He had to pull himself together! Enzo was out there. He had to make an appearance. "Breathe, Ichabod. Breathe."

He should have known better than to attempt a stolen kiss while Angie was asleep! But he had been watching her for hours, and once he started, he didn't want to stop! And then she had shuddered. Shuddered! Surely that meant he was giving her pleasure….He started gasping again and had to stop thinking again and concentrate on his breathing.

Or was she having a bad dream… Ichabod frowned as he considered that possibility. Surely not, she had licked his neck after that. And he couldn't stop himself! He had grabbed her upper arms and held on for dear life. He only hoped she wasn't bruised!

When Angie had started returning his attentions, every particle of common sense had left his brain. He remembered flipping her over. How could he have dared to be so forward with her? Then he had pressed against her and squeezed her 'bodacious backside'. He hadn't been able to control himself any longer. He groaned, mentally berating himself in utter despair. He had lost all control and had shot his load right in his pants!

Ichabod had been petrified! He was so grateful that Enzo had knocked on the door, giving him an excuse to scurry away to the shower. Had Angie noticed? What was he going to do? He had to get this under control if he ever hoped to have a real relationship with Angie.

He wondered if Angie thought he was kissing her in his sleep. Had she been awake the whole time? Or maybe she was asleep herself the whole time….. At least she had smiled at him and said it was nice.

"That was nice…" Indeed. He closed his eyes and replayed it over and over in his mind with a dopey smile on his face as he soaped up his body. He slowly realized that his hand kept returning to a certain area. Granted, that area had been extra sticky…. He started gasping again. Oh yes, Mr. Happy was happy indeed. He wondered what Angie's breasts would taste like, if the skin was as soft and creamy as her arms. He so wanted to touch her.

Ichabod felt blissful euphoria, without a trace of guilt. Perhaps he shouldn't ignore these urges for so long. Maybe if he indulged more often, he wouldn't lose it so quickly. He smiled to himself….something to investigate…vigorously! For scientific purposes, of course. He quickly rinsed off and got out of the shower. Now, how to face Angie and Enzo...

00

Ichabod scrubbed a towel through his wet hair and finished shaving. Grabbing a pair of pants from the closet, he began to dress, watching his reflection in the mirror on the back of the bedroom door.

It felt good to be in his own place, paying his way, doing his part. He realized that his dependence on others had contributed to his anxiety and insecurities. He turned back to the closet. Hmm, the white shirt would do for today. He slid it on and started the buttoning it.

He would have to keep Angie in check. Her caring nature would have her babying him and trying to take on everything herself if he wasn't careful. She had enough to worry about on her own. Ichabod sat in the floor to put on his socks and shoes.

He hadn't felt this comfortable….this at home, since that morning in 1799 when he had left his small apartment to investigate the murders in Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod stood up to leave the room. He frowned as he noticed his tousled hair in the mirror. What had he done with his comb?

He quirked an eyebrow at himself and sighed as he turned to look for the silly thing, reminiscing about that far away morning as he searched. "Such a day for such a sad farewell, this is goodbye, my sweet." Had he known even then that he would never return to that place?

He blushed, realizing how pathetic he had been, having only a cardinal for such poetic, romantic words. He wondered what Angie would do if he used those words on her? Or would she think him silly for it?

As he continued his quest for a comb, he wondered what had happened to his books, his inventions, his journals, his research… He blushed deeper, trying to remember if there had been anything embarrassing in his personal journals. He felt sad, a bit redundant to realize that now most of his ideas were either outdated or had been discovered by someone else.

Hmmm, what was it that Katrina had once told him? Oh, yes. "It's always the modern age, Ichabod…but the ancient ones endure." He was now the ancient one, definitely enduring. He smirked at his reflection in the mirror. "Hello Modern Age. I will not be beaten down!" He snorted, "Especially not with this stubborn hair!"

Ichabod approached the door and carefully listened to the muted sounds coming from the other room. The tone was excitement. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, walk in and greet Enzo" he sternly told himself, "All you have to do is walk in, say hello to Enzo. Do not trip over your feet. Do not faint. Oh yeah, and somehow ask Angie if you can borrow her comb. All without making yourself look silly." He rolled his eyes at himself in the mirror. He was asking a lot. He turned the knob and walked into the living room.

Angie and Enzo were sitting in the bag chairs they had borrowed from Carla, drinking coffee. Seeing Ichabod, Angie flew from her chair with a bright smile, and led him to the kitchen.

"We're celebrating" she beamed. "Enzo brought coffee and muffins."

Ichabod leaned against the counter and helped himself to some coffee, enjoying the rush of caffeine to his brain. He took a large bite from one of the still warm muffins. "And might I inquire as to the occasion? Mmmpfh… my compliments on the perfection of these muffins." He helped himself to a second one.

"Carla's favorite pancake joint. Nice hair, by the way," Enzo mumbled through a mouthful of blueberry strudel muffin.

"I can't believe you two!" Angie's hands flew into the air with exasperation. "Stop stuffing yourself and tell him the news!"

Enzo made a face at Angie and swallowed his food. "Oh, I had lunch with Father Carlson today. I'll start teaching at St. Thomas in a couple of weeks." Enzo looked pointedly at Angie, opened his mouth wide and stuffed a whole huge muffin into his mouth.

Angie rolled her eyes in response.

Ichabod bowed slightly towards him. "My Congratulations. Wait a minute, did you say lunch?" Ichabod ran over to look out the window. "I can't believe I slept so late. The day has almost gotten away from us!"

"Speaking of which, we need to head out, Angie." Enzo turned to look at his sister.

"Right, we'll be ready to go in a minute." Angie started to put away the muffins and toss the trash.

"Go?" Ichabod looked confused.

"Enzo needs us to go down to DC with him to help pack up his apartment. We're renting a U-haul," said Angie, as she wiped off the kitchen counter.

"Actually…" Enzo hesitated. "I was thinking maybe you could come help me, Ange, and Ichabod might possibly be able to help me out with a big favor."

"A favor...?" Ichabod said slowly, wondering what the large Italian had in mind for him.

"Carla has to ride out to Throgs Neck later to take care of some family business. I was hoping you might go with her, help her out." Enzo avoided Ichabod's eyes.

"I shall gladly accompany Carla. She's a good friend," Ichabod replied, sincerely.

"Great, it's all good." He clapped his hands together and turned to look at Angie, who was looking at him, speculatively. "Let's hit the road. If we leave now, we can be there in time for dinner."

"Oh, Angie, before you leave….do you have an extra comb? I think I left mine at the motel?" Ichabod wrinkled his nose at her as he ran his hand through his messy hair.

Angie looked and him and laughed. "Oh, I don't know, I kind of like your hair like that!" Ichabod raised an eyebrow. "OK, alright, come on, let's see what we can find." She led him into her room and started going through her things.

Angie dug through a box of hair accessories and found an extra comb. When Ichabod reached out for it, she ignored him. She started running one of her hands through his hair, as she started combing his hair with the other. "I really do like your hair that way," she said quietly, paying very close attention to his hair and avoiding his eyes.

Ichabod blushed brightly. "How long will you two be gone?" he asked.

"We should be back by dinner tomorrow. DC is only about 3-4 hours from here, depending on traffic." She hesitated for a moment. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, I should be fine." Ichabod took the comb from her hand and made final adjustments to his hair. "I have lots to do. If I get bored, I can always help Carla with the kids."

Angie turned his face towards her as she leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I want you to make me a promise," she said, looking up at him with soft shiny eyes.

"What can I do for you Angela?" he answered back, his eyes glued to hers.

"No investigating blue lights while I'm gone, Old Man. No matter who asks, no matter how fascinating it seems. I want you to be right here when I return. Is that clear?"

Ichabod smiled as he took her hand from his face and put a soft kiss on it. "Such a day for such a sad farewell, this is goodbye, my sweet." There! He had finally used those words on a beautiful woman. If he died right now, at least he wouldn't be quite so pathetic.

Angie glowered at him. He grinned and pulled her in for a tight hug. "Believe me, Little Girl. I've had far too much experience with that madness. Blue light, blue fog, blue mist … I'm staying very far away from it all."

She hugged him back, and pulled away to grab her purse. They were headed out the door when Enzo turned back and yelled to Ichabod, "Oh yeah, Carla will be coming around for you about 5:00."

"You guys have a safe trip." Ichabod locked the door and went back into the kitchen for a second cup of coffee. "I should have kissed her," he thought, mentally kicking himself.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to Dionne Dance, who pretty much wrote this chapter, and for all her help and inspiration!

Ch. 4

Alone in the apartment, Ichabod looked at the clock on the stove. He had three hours before Carla arrived. "Get moving, Ichabod, you have things to do," he told himself.

His mind was full of memories as he sorted the laundry that had accumulated during their week in the motel. Angie and Steve had been baffled at his fascination with appliances. He grinned as he remembered the look on Angie's face when she realized he had taken over laundry duty!

Apparently Steve had never been one to help around the house. Angie had been amused when she caught him researching how all of the household appliances worked. Electricity and technology….magic!

Ichabod put soap in the machine and started the first load. As the clothes were going, he grabbed his journal and started prioritizing the list he and Angie had made the night before. It was overwhelming.

"No time for anxiety," he scolded when he realized he was stressing over how they would afford basic needs. He decided that reading ahead for next week's classes would be a better use of his time.

00

Ichabod had just finished putting away the clean clothes when Carla arrived, surrounded by the cloud of energy that was her offspring

"So, are you ready for another Throgs Neck adventure?" Carla navigated out of the garage and into traffic.

Ichabod smiled. "It's not so bad."

"You're a good person, Ichabod. Not everyone would take over Enzo's spot like that. I know he really appreciates it." Carla looked up at the rear view mirror. "Cosimo, I saw that! Settle down back there or I'll pull this truck over. You don't want me to stop this truck!"

It suddenly got very quiet in the back seat.

Ichabod looked puzzled. "Take over his spot?"

Carla suddenly whipped her vehicle over into a convenience store parking lot and looked at him.

"Mama, mama, I stopped! I'm beinghave, I promise!" Cosimo looked terrified.

"Quiet, kids, I need to talk to Ichabod," Carla said sternly. "Ichabod, let's step outside for just a second. We need a word in private."

"Ooooh, Ichabod, you better promise not to do that again…" "Mama, please don't spank Ichabod, he didn't mean it!" "Mama, I promise, I AM beinghave…." Now all of Carla's kids looked scared.

"Calm down now, my pigeons. The only one getting a spanking around here is Enzo!" Carla and Ichabod got out of the car.

Carla's kids sat back in their seats with wide eyes as they watched their mother and Ichabod having a discussion while leaning on the SUV.

"So," Carla started. "Just exactly what did Enzo tell you we would be doing today?"

"From what I recall, he said he wanted Angie to go with him to DC to pack up his apartment. He had lunch with his friend, and will begin teaching here in two weeks." Ichabod chewed on his lip with a slight frown, wondering what he had missed.

"That's good," Carla nodded. "Anything else?"

"Enzo asked if I could do him a favor and accompany you and help you out. He said you had to take care of some family business in Throgs Neck. I told him I would be happy to help you."

"Is something wrong?" Ichabod could see that Carla's temper was rising, and that she was trying very hard to keep it under control.

"That cowardly bastard!" Carla yelled. She turned away from Ichabod and mirrored his actions from the morning, pressing her head against her arms on the car.

Ichabod didn't know what to do. He could tell she was trying to calm herself. He reached out and gently stroked her back. "Carla, it's going to be ok. Just take deep breaths."

He continued to rub her back. "You can tell me what we are to do. I'll be fine!" He caught her arm as she started to punch the door of the vehicle and stepped back.

"Don't hurt your lovely truck, Carla. Save it for Enzo."

Ichabod had a wicked thought, and spun Carla around with mischief in his eyes. "He will owe us both. You for telling me, and me for carrying out whatever this dreaded task may be!"

Carla had never seen Ichabod like this, it calmed her down immediately. A sly grin crossed her face. "So, what do you have in mind, Ichabod?"

"You shall invite us all over for a lovely lasagna dinner, and then entice us into a game of bunny slipper twister!"

Carla giggled at the thought.

"As for me….I'll have to see how the dreaded task goes before I can think of a suitable punishment! So tell me, just what has Enzo planned for me?

"You are spending tonight and tomorrow visiting Aunt Graciela." Carla said, looking at the ground. Ichabod gasped. Everyone had noticed Graciela's attraction to him at Thanksgiving.

"Uncle Eugenio lives next door, and usually pops in to check on her every day. But as he's on the cruise, other family members have been taking turns. It's Enzo's turn. He's her favorite; she likes to spend more time with him."

Ichabod went pale, remembering the tiny woman stuffing him with food, pinching his cheeks and telling him the same story over and over again. Well...at least he wouldn't starve.

"Won't she be disappointed that Enzo isn't there?" Ichabod tried desperately.

"Ah, she might be a little disappointed, she'll probably give him grief about it the next time she sees him, but after Thanksgiving…well, let's just say I think Enzo has some competition for Auntie's affections." Carla winked, causing Ichabod to blush.

He sighed, "Well, let's get on to it. There are worse ways I could spend the time while Angie's gone. And I suppose that Enzo _did_ need to move before the school holiday is over."

He turned to her thoughtfully, "Do you actually have family business in Throgs Neck, or was it just a ruse to get me out there?"

"Yep, I'm taking the kids to visit my family. But if you need me for anything, have any questions about how to handle Graciela, or need me to take you somewhere, just call. We'll only be a few blocks away."

"Thanks," said Ichabod. "That makes me feel better."

"Oh, and one more thing about Aunt Graciela, Ichabod. Don't fall for that senile act. Enzo said she's sharp as a tack and only pulls that so people will leave her alone."

She hesitated and scrutinized him carefully, "Enzo said that you look so much like Giovanni's portrait that it's spooky. Do you have any Italian relatives?"

Ichabod shook his head slowly. "Not that I'm aware. I think most of my ancestors are English, hence the pale skin."

"Ah, too bad. You're a good guy, you deserve to be Italian!" Carla turned and opened the truck door.

"Oh, and apparently Graciela is quite the artist. She probably won't bother you too much. If you get her started with her pencils or paints, she forgets you are there and you can watch tv or do what you want. Let's get headed that way!"

The kids looked relieved when Ichabod got back in unscathed. They continued their journey towards Throgs Neck and grandma.

Ichabod was deep in thought. "Hey Carla, since it's the holidays, do you think we could stop so I could pick up a quick gift for Aunt Graciela?"

Carla pulled in at Walmart, and Ichabod ran in. He remembered something he had seen at the toy store with Enzo. It was a Crayola airbrush made to be used with their markers. He grabbed one and the markers and turned to head for the check out. The holiday clearance table made him stop. How could he pass up that tiny birdhouse with a cardinal sitting on top for $3? He smiled as he grabbed it along with a large gift bag and paid for the items.

Carla laughed when she saw what he had bought. "Enzo's going to have to work hard to catch up with you in Aunt Graciela's heart now!"

When they arrived in Throgs Neck, Carla pulled up to a white house with a covered porch. "Well, this is it. Do you mind if I go on? We're running a little late."

"No, no, I'll be fine." Ichabod was reassuring her as well as himself. "See you tomorrow then."

00

As Carla drove off, Ichabod walked up the drive with his gift bag. He rang the bell, and the door slowly creaked open.

"Ichabod!" Graciela threw herself at him in a hug that nearly broke his ribs. She looked behind him. "Where's Enzo? Where is my boy? He promised to come stay with me today."

Her face fell. Her eyes looked so sad that it made him a little angry. He could see why Carla was unhappy with Enzo.

Ichabod decided to make the best of things and try to help Graciela forget her disappointment. After all, a happy Graciela would be much easier to take than a depressed, grumpy one.

"Enzo couldn't make it today. He asked me to keep you company in his stead. And, I have great news for you!" Ichabod smiled brightly at her. "Enzo was offered a job in New York just this morning! So he is moving back!"

Aunt Graciela perked up at that.

Ichabod smirked to himself and decided to lay it on thick. Enzo deserved a taste of his own medicine.

"Enzo was distraught to miss your visit. But the move will enable him to visit you more often. He couldn't wait. He insisted Angela go with him to DC in order to get packed up and moved back here immediately!"

Graciela clapped her hands in glee. "What a wonderful thing you say! My boy is moving home to New York!"

"Ah! But what am I thinking? Leaving you standing here in the door, come, come, you are starving! I must feed you. We can't let all of the food I made for Enzo go to waste. Look at you, so thin. Starving! You will get sick standing here in the cold. Eat! We must eat! Come into this kitchen!" Aunt Graciela went on and on as she dragged him through the house.

Ichabod stood paralyzed in the kitchen door, his eyes wide. Platters of food were everywhere. She could have catered two weddings, there was so much to eat. "Will others be joining us?" he asked hopefully.

"No, no, it's all for us!" She chuckled. "What we cannot eat while you are here, I'll send home with you. Look, I've been saving containers!"

Ichabod looked at where she was pointing. She had one whole cabinet devoted to stacks of bright yellow Polly-O cheese containers. My God! She was planning to send all of this home with him? They would never be able to eat it before it went bad! He pulled back in horror.

"Sit Ichabod, Sit. I'll make you a plate." She pushed him down into a chair.

After his experience with maternal guilt during Thanksgiving, he knew better than to resist. He had decided to try to make her happy. So he sat and let the tiny woman force food on him. He swore that if he had put down his fork for two seconds, the woman would have been feeding him herself.

As Ichabod's tummy got tighter and tighter, Graciela's smile got brighter, and the atmosphere lightened. He was doing a good job at lifting her mood.

"Aren't you going to sit down and eat?" He asked, as he finally had a chance to cover his plate with the napkin to prevent her giving him more.

"Later, I can eat later. I don't often have the pleasure of feeding such a handsome young man. Let's put away the food and visit." Ichabod stood up, feeling bloated and sleepy from such a huge meal. He followed Aunt Graciela, getting the storage containers, and helping to package up and label the containers to her specifications. He put some of the containers into a small freezer for her, and the rest went into the refrigerator. Then he helped her bring everything to the sink and scrape the plates.

"Let's go ahead and do these dishes," Ichabod said as he started loading the dishwasher. When it was full, he ran water in the sink to do the rest by hand.

"What are you thinking, sit down, sit down. I can do that later. You shouldn't be working in the kitchen!" Aunt Graciela protested. But Ichabod didn't mind. Staying busy would help the time pass, and he really couldn't allow the elderly woman to work so hard. Besides, standing up and moving helped his poor bloated stomach. He ignored her and continued to work on the dishes.

"You are such a good boy, so good to me!" Graciela pinched his cheek and grabbed a towel to start drying. As they worked, she asked Ichabod where he lived, and how Angie was, and about his holiday. Without thinking, Ichabod told her that he and Angie had an apartment in Carla's building, and that they had spent Christmas with Carla's family.

"Angela has left Steven?" She asked, looking aghast. Ichabod looked worried. Ooops, he probably shouldn't have said that. What would she think of him, living with her married niece. His thoughts were interrupted when Graciela quietly spoke again.

"Is she okay?"

Ichabod looked at her carefully. Aunt Graciela looked very concerned. "She is understandably very upset. But she is trying to be strong and move on." He was sure Angie would not appreciate him saying too much about the situation. He was afraid he had already said too much.

Graciela's mind was off in the distance. She patted Ichabod gently on the arm. "You're a good friend. Don't worry, I won't ask more. And I won't say anything til Angela is ready to talk."

She went back to her thoughts for a while before she spoke again. "Everyone saw this coming even before they got married. But she is a stubborn girl, blinded by him. It will be hard for her to tell the family. But they will be so happy."

She turned to look at Ichabod. "They worry, so, so much. Only wanting her happiness. She changed. So serious – no fun, after him." Graciela got very quiet again for a few minutes. "If it comes up, if she shows dread, find a way to let her know the family will be happy."

Ichabod smiled at her as he drained the sink and dried off his hands. "I will find a way. Would you like to see what I brought for you?"

Graciela clapped her hands and practically jumped with glee. She led him to the living room where they sat down with a scrunch. Ichabod looked startled. "Sorry. If I had known it was you coming instead of Enzo, I would have taken all the plastic off the furniture."

Ichabod said nothing, but handed her the gift bag he'd brought along.

She opened it and screamed with delight, hugging Ichabod, and then running off into another room. "Come, come, let's go into the den. I must try this!"

Ichabod followed her into the other room and froze. One whole wall was covered with pictures of cardinals. Some had been hand drawn. Others were cut from cards, magazines, newspapers, calendars. But all had been cut out and glued directly to the wall. It was a little scary to look at.

Graciela motioned him to another plastic covered couch and handed him the television remote.

"Excuse my rudeness," she said. "Make yourself at home, I must paint!"

Ichabod sat down and noticed something on the desk in the corner. "You have a computer?" he asked in a stunned voice.

"Of course, who doesn't in this modern age!" She was ignoring him, reading the instructions on the box and spreading out materials on her worktable. "Just turn it on, if you like."

Ichabod turned on the computer, and Aunt Graciela logged him in and went back to her toy.

Well, this wouldn't be so bad after all. Ichabod hadn't had a computer to use since they left the house.

He surfed the web while Aunt Graciela happily painted away. At midnight, she finally stopped and put him to bed in her guest room. A nice, soft, old fashioned feather bed. Ichabod was very pleasantly surprised at the way this was going. He truly felt spoiled. He rolled over and very quickly fell asleep.

00

The evening was not going so well for the pair headed to DC. It was snowing, and holiday traffic was snarled. Angie was not talking to Enzo. She had finally pried the truth out of him regarding this "urgent need" for Ichabod to help Carla with family business. Angie had insisted they turn around immediately.

Enzo refused, saying that "Graciela probably had Ichabod comatose with dinner by now." That, coupled with being stuck for two hours behind a crash only 30 minutes from Enzo's exit had Angie's temper ready to blow. Enzo would be lucky if he had anything left to move once she was done with his apartment!

It was 8:00 p.m. by the time they pulled off the exit. After grabbing dinner from a drive through they headed to his place. Both were too tired to argue. They just plopped on his sofa and turned on the news while they gulped down the food.

Angie noticed that Enzo's sofas were covered with plastic, similar to their parents and other older relatives. Enzo was too young for that! Most Italians of their generation didn't bother with such things.

"Plastic covers, Enzo? Really? You have enough company here to merit plastic sofa covers? Like we didn't get enough of these growing up."

"I'm proud of my culture…" he said through a mouthful of fries. "Respect it."

Angie just rolled her eyes. "Let's see, how about we start with packing up your clothes and bookcases for tonight, and we can get on with the rest in the morning."

Enzo started working on the books. Angie went to work on his closet. There were almost no clothes! Only about 6 shirts and two pairs of pants. She started looking around the room, picking up dirty socks as she went. In the bathroom she found a hamper of dirty clothes.

"I'm starting some laundry" she called. "I refuse to ride back to New York with the stink of these socks haunting me."

"Thanks!" called Enzo. "Don't forget to look under the bed, there's probably some stuff under there too."

Angie got down in the floor and started pulling things out from under the bed. She wrinkled her nose and stood up when she came out with a huge DD bright yellow bra, and a pair of granny panties that were twice as wide as Angie. She threw the bra over her shoulder and headed for the living room with the panties stretched between her hands.

"Really Enzo….REALLY?" Angie huffed. "I can't BELIEVE you have the AUDACITY to call Carla fat. How dare you! How…"

Enzo laughed hard and cut her off. "Hey, what can I say, fat chicks try harder!"

Angie huffed at him again, and flung the bra at him. "This place stinks! No wonder you have plastic on the sofa. It's to keep the vermin out! I'm going to bed. On the couch. WITHOUT the plastic. So get out of here. Either go to bed, or go into your room and pack quietly."

"Yes, Little Girl," Enzo teased her.

Angie flew at him with both arms, nailing him with a right hook. "YOU are not allowed to call me THAT. Ever. Do you understand?"

Enzo held back a laugh, pretending to pout as he gingerly touched his eye. "That's gonna leave a mark" he said, shaking as he really tried hard not to laugh at her. "Kinda like that love bite you've been trying to hide." At this he lost it, and broke down in giggles on the floor.

Angie ran to the door and grabbed the baseball bat he kept next to it. "I'm gonna show you a love _bashing_ if you don't get out of this room right now and go to bed."

Enzo was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. He grabbed some ice in a towel for his eye, and went to his bedroom for the night, glad that his sister was showing a little spunk.

Angie pulled the plastic cover off the sofa and made herself a bed. She missed Ichabod. She really wanted to call him, but wasn't sure what she would say. She just missed him.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you to Dionne Dance, who pretty much wrote this chapter, and for all her help and inspiration!

Ch. 5

Ichabod woke up early, cozy and warm in the feather bed. He could smell bacon and strong coffee. He must be in heaven! Then he sighed. No, he was at Aunt Graciela's, and though the food smelled delicious, he knew that before too long, he would be stuffed beyond his limits, and the food wouldn't seem so delicious any longer.

He decided to dress and get it over with. Besides, he really needed some caffeine. Ichabod walked into the kitchen to see Graciela singing as she stood at the stove making breakfast. The song sounded familiar… He knew he had heard it before. Yeah…maybe one of those VH1 video programs that Steve liked. What was it? Suddenly it came to him. The show that listed the top 25 most annoying songs of all time. That had to be it. He shook his head at Graciela's taste in music.

'Mmm-Bop'. That was the song. 'Mmm-Bop.' By those long haired Hanson brothers. Ichabod tried not to cringe. Thankfully, Graciela stopped singing once she noticed him standing nearby.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" he asked politely.

"Good morning to you! And excuse my singing! I love those little Hanson sisters, good Christian girls they are! Uncle Benito bought me one of their cassette tapes years ago."

Ichabod looked at her like she had three heads. She meant the Hanson _brothers_, surely? He didn't want to insult the woman though. She probably was actually just a bit senile… or trying to make him think so. He smirked to himself, remembering Carla's warning. Best just to play along with her.

"Breakfast is almost ready," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "We eat light in the morning." She sat him at the table and filled his plate with bacon, eggs, and toast. He thanked her as she handed him a cup of expresso.

Ichabod watched as she made a plate for herself, noticing that she had embellished her apron with cardinals. "I see you've been using the airbrush," he said, digging into his eggs. "You are quite talented."

The old woman blushed, and thanked him again for coming to visit. "Do you have any plans for us today?" she asked him with a smile.

"No, we can do whatever you would like," Ichabod replied.

Her answer was that she wanted Ichabod to take her to see where he lived with Angie. She was surprised when he told her he couldn't drive, and that Carla had given him a ride. Then she asked him one of the questions he had been dreading: how he came to live with Angela and Steven. Ichabod thought carefully. He really did not want to lie to the old woman.

"Well, it's a long story. My father was a minister. His missions took our family to remote places where the societies were not as modern as New York. In fact, you might describe them as a couple of hundred years behind New York," Ichabod paused.

"Yes," Graciela replied, watching him devoutly. "I've heard of places like that. On the Smithsonian Channel. Do you ever watch that?"

"Um. Not really." Ichabod looked at her for a second, wondering if she had anything else to say. When she kept quiet, he continued.

"I stayed there for a long time," he continued. "But after my mother died, I began to resent being there. I wanted to be a part of the modern world. So I left and found myself lost in Queens. No friends, no family. Angela and Steve found me and took me in. They were helping me adjust to modern life. They helped me get into college and learn to use computers."

"How generous of them!" Graciela proclaimed.

"Very generous," Ichabod agreed. "When Angela decided to leave Steve, she invited me to go with her. I decided to go for two reasons. One, it would have been awkward for me to stay with Steve and his….well, it would have been awkward for me to stay with Steve. And two, I was worried about Angela, and didn't want her to be out there alone."

"And three," said Graciela, "You are in love with my Angela."

Ichabod's face went pale and his eyes got very wide. "Yes," he said softly, "And three, I am in love with Angie."

"She does not know…" said Graciela. "At Thanksgiving, I could see it in your eyes, and she could only see that selfish, manipulative demon of a man."

"Well," said Ichabod quietly, "He is her husband after all….and no. She does not know."

"Tell her!" Insisted Aunt Graciela. "You must tell her now! Life is precious and short. Tell her!"

"I hope to tell her someday. I just fear it is too soon." Ichabod sighed. "I hope it wasn't obvious to EVERYONE at Thanksgiving."

The old woman patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, most people could only see their food." She looked thoughtful. "Can you call Carla? I want to talk to her a minute."

Ichabod looked scared. "You aren't going to tell her about Angie, are you? Although I think she already knows…."

"No. I'm giving you and my niece a few things from the basement. I need to see if Carla can drive Uncle Benny's truck."

"I'm not sure Angela would like that. You know how proud and stubborn she can be…" Ichabod was interrupted by the old woman pinching his cheeks again.

"Just call her."

Ten minutes later, Carla was in the driveway, the kids left with their grandmother. "What's going on, Ichabod?" she whispered.

"Carla, you are just in time. I'm giving Ichabod Uncle Benito's truck. But he says he cannot drive. Can you teach him in your driving school?"

Carla looked at Ichabod and shrugged, "Uhhh, sure, I guess."

"Good, good. She handed Carla a holiday popcorn tin covered with Rudolph designs. "Will this pay for it?"

Carla and Ichabod exchanged incredulous looks. The old woman was either really good, or truly must be losing it.

"Sure, no problem." Carla agreed.

"Good. Now you two youngsters come to the basement with me. We are loading up that truck and you will show me Angela's apartment."

00

Two hours later they were on the way back to Queens with Hanson blasting out of the speakers. Carla felt as if she were the in tenth level of her own personal hell, while Ichabod enjoyed watching her facial reactions as "Mmm-Bop" once again started on repeat. Every so often, her left eye would twitch. Ichabod wanted to laugh but held back. He knew it would take more than one trip, and hoped Carla's nerves would hold out.

Once on the tenth floor, Graciela held court from one of the bag chairs while Ichabod and Carla unloaded the truck.

"Good God, Ichabod, what did you say to that woman?" Carla asked with a grunt, as they hoisted Aunt Graciela's best plastic covered sofa off of the elevator.

"I don't know," Ichabod replied. "She did like the gift I brought her, and she is worried about Angie." They moved the sofa into the living room and headed downstairs for another load. After three trips to Graciela's, they had brought up the sofa, a table and 4 chairs, several bookcases, 2 sets of dishes and flatware, glasses, end tables, lamps, and a huge desk. She also gave Ichabod a set of canisters for the kitchen, and a large trunk.

"I want you to hold onto the trunk for me," Aunt Graciela said. "It has my old journals and family papers. Most people think it is junk, and want to get rid of it. But it means something to me. Please, you will hold onto it?"

"I'll hold onto it," Ichabod said. "But I still don't think Angie will be happy that you are giving us so much."

"Let her fight me, then!" Graciela threatened. "I have no need for these things, catching dust in my basement."

"Just take the plastic off the couch, she'll love it. I bought that thing to spite Enzo. He wanted to buy a couple of Lazy Boys for when we watch Nazionale Italiana di calcio, the futball. Hmmm….Lazy Boys…..can they make plastic covers for those? In time for World Cup? Enzo will take me to find out when he gets back!" The tiny woman drifted off into her thoughts.

"But don't you need your freezer?" Ichabod asked. The crazy old bat had insisted they throw the upright freezer full of food in the truck as well.

"Enzo has been promising me a bigger chest freezer. He must keep his word or no more of my cooking for him!"

Both Ichabod and Carla tried not to laugh. Aunt Graciela was definitely out for her revenge on Enzo.

00

"Carla, we must go now. I must paint. I will google designs for the futball team. Yes….I can airbrush shirts for the next game!"

"Uh, sure. No problem." Carla and Ichabod exchanged a look before turning to leave with Aunt Graciela.

"Stay home and settle in, Ichabod. Carla can see me home. And Ichabod…don't forget to come for the truck when you get your license." Graciela patted his shoulder and reached up to give him a hug.

Ichabod hugged her back, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Graciela. This really means a lot to me."

She smiled at him with twinkling eyes. "Ah, molto bello! You must tell her."

00

Later, when Carla returned home with the kids, she stopped by to see Ichabod. "Wow, that woman really loves you, Ichabod."

"I guess you could say that," Ichabod blushed. "I'm very grateful for her kindness."

"Me too! I busted into that popcorn on the way home to give the kids a snack. There was $500 dollars in it!" Carla had a huge grin on her face. "All the way home she reminded me to teach you. She wants to be sure you can visit her once a month on meatball making day!"

"Meatball making day?" Ichabod had never heard of that.

"Don't question an Italian woman about her cooking habits. Just sit back and enjoy," Carla warned. "Oh, and she gave me this for Angie. Said it was a housewarming gift." Carla handed Ichabod a large, rectangular package with a very thick, expandable envelope attached.

"Oh, thanks. I'll give it to her when she gets home. Hmm, I wonder what Angie will think about Enzo sending me to Aunt Graciela. With this housewarming present and the furniture, she'll know I had to tell Graciela where I'm living." Ichabod was worried. "But she did promise not to say anything until Angie is ready to tell her family."

"I wouldn't worry about it Ichabod. I think she'll keep her word. And most of the family thinks she's senile anyway. Let me know when you are ready, and we'll book your first driving lesson. That's a nice truck!"

Carla soon went home and Ichabod took the plastic cover off the sofa. He started running the dusty dishes through the dishwasher, and tried arranging the furniture. He wasn't quite sure where to put the desk. Carla had helped him put the upright freezer in the washroom, the only place it seemed to fit.

Their empty apartment was really beginning to look like a home. The sofa had a bed built in, so they wouldn't have to sleep on the floor, but they would still need beds, a tv, computer, and some other things. Still, it was a really good start. He just hoped Angie wouldn't be mad.

00

Ichabod had just finished putting away the last of the clean dishes when the door opened. Angie and Enzo entered the apartment like a tornado.

"Don't you DARE ask him. Don't you dare, after what you did!" Angie was in a rage. Enzo just grinned at her.

"You're being silly Ange!" He walked over to the fridge and opened the door. "Hey look, good old Graciela didn't forget her favorite nephew after all!" He grabbed one of the many yellow Polly-O containers and headed for the microwave.

Ichabod bravely stood between Enzo and the microwave and slapped his hand, grabbing the container, and putting it back in the fridge. "Graciela said you won't be getting any more of her cooking until you come to visit like you promised. She also wants you to take her to buy that new freezer she wanted and a couple of Lazy Boys."

Enzo looked stunned. "Well, look who grew a pair!" he said, looking at Ichabod approvingly. "I guess I'll go ask Carla. She won't turn me down." Enzo left the apartment.

"Don't dare ask me what?" Ichabod looked at her with raised eyebrows. "And what happened to his eye?" He looked at Angie more closely…"What happened to your neck?"

"What happened to this apartment?" asked Angie, looking around herself in amazement. "I must be in the wrong place."

"Hey, I asked first." Ichabod pouted at her.

Angie sighed. "Fine. Enzo was going to ask you to help unload his stuff from the U-haul, but now he's going to ask Carla. I got mad at him last night and blacked his eye. And surely…..you _do_ know what a love bite is, right?"

Ichabod looked confused, but grinned. "I feel sorry for Enzo. Carla was ready to kill him when she realized he didn't tell me where I was going. She's out for blood! And no, I'm not sure about the love bite thing." He walked over and touched her bruise, gingerly. Then, it hit him. "Did I do that?"

"Yes, a love bite is when someone sucks and kisses on your neck until they make a bruise. It's also called a hickey. Just making sure you get your modern day education."

Ichabod looked terrified. Angie had to be upset over that! He'd marked her! And of course, Enzo must have seen it…He briefly imagined Enzo chasing him down the stairs of the building, baseball bat in hand. He'd seemed calm enough when he had come in before, but maybe he was simply distracted. He might very well come back!

Angie seemed to notice Ichabod's discomfort.

"You okay there? You look like you're about to faint again, and I don't think I have a wooden spoon to wake you up with."

"The love bite... Did Enzo see it?" Ichabod asked, meekly.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Oh, god," Ichabod mumbled. Now he truly feared for his life. "He's going to kill me."

Angie raised an eyebrow.

"Kill you? Over a hickey? Come on, Ichabod. He's a little bit more mature than that."

"But he's your brother."

"And he's also an adult. A sexually active adult. It'll be fine, I promise."

Ichabod nodded vacantly, forcing himself to believe her.

Angie shook her head, then looked around the room. It had been empty this morning, and now…there really was a lot there now. Then, something caught her eye.

"Is this Aunt Graciela's new couch? She let you bring it here? What did you say to her? SHE LET YOU TAKE THE PLASTIC OFF?"

Angie's statement brought Ichabod out of his fear-induced trance. Why did everyone ask what he had said to Graciela?

He laughed. "Yep. The rest of the stuff came from her basement. She had boxes and boxes of dishes."

"She used to have a catering business, in her younger days…" Angie remembered, sighing softly. "She's always been the best cook in the family."

"We have a fridge full of her leftovers. Maybe we should heat up some dinner and help Enzo unload." Ichabod moved towards the fridge. "Oh, and she sent you a housewarming gift." He handed her the package.

Angie opened up the envelope. There was a note, and a huge stack of cash, tied with a blue ribbon. She smiled as she read.

_I know what it is like to start over again with nothing. Your uncle Benito rescued me and gave me a happy life when I lost my Giovanni. Now that you have found my Giovanni, I want to help you start over with a happy life._

_Love, Auntie Graciela._

Angie was close to tears after reading the note, but the package contained something even more moving: It was the painting Aunt Graciela had done of Giovanni. He looked exactly like Ichabod, down to the coat he was wearing when he landed on her porch. Angie couldn't believe the old woman had parted with it.

"What is that crazy woman thinking?" Ichabod asked, astonished. "I found $20,000 in a box of popsicles in the freezer, and now this?"

Angie laughed. "Uncle Benito had cash stashed everywhere in that house. Don't worry, she can spare it."

She looked at him appraisingly "I still have to wonder what you did to make such an impression on her. Really, it has to be more than looking like Giovanni." She turned the portrait around for him to see.

Ichabod gasped. He thought he was going to faint. The old portrait of Giovanni was an amazing likeness of him!

"I….uh…I'm not sure…..I was just kind to her. I gave her a toy airbrush and markers, and a birdhouse decoration with a cardinal on it…, " he stuttered nervously.

Angie laughed. "You crazy cardinal people! What is it about those birds? Although I have to admit, I fell in love with them when you sent me that beautiful tree with those ornaments. It instantly reminded me of Aunt Graciela. You saw her wall, I assume? Disturbing, isn't it?"

He reached for the portrait, "This is more disturbing I think!"

Angie jerked it back, holding it close to her heart. "I'll be the judge of that. And I need to decide where I'll be hanging this. But really, Ichabod. What else happened?"

"Well, she fed me until I could barely stand. I helped her put away the food, and did the dishes…"

Now Angie gasped. "She allowed you to help with the dishes?"

"Not exactly," Ichabod replied. "After we packed away all of those leftovers, I just started scraping plates and loading the dishwasher. Then I started washing the stuff that wouldn't fit before she noticed. I thought she would have a stroke, but finally she came over and started drying. We had a nice talk while working. And then I gave her the gift. She was like a child! She told me I could use her laptop while she painted."

"Aunt Graciela has a computer?" Angie asked, even more stunned.

"Yes! She let me surf, and showed me her deviant art page. Her web name is crazycardinallady3! She wants me to follow her on twitter after we get a new machine." Ichabod could tell that Angie was really in shock.

Angie exhaled. "Wow. That means that there are at least two other crazy cardinal ladies out there. That's just scary."

Angie looked thoughtful. "You were a good friend to her, Ichabod. You treated her like a normal person, not like some nutty old lady. I think a lot of people in the family are guilty of that. Including me. Sometimes we get selfish and forget that old people have a lot going on inside too. I think that's why she loves Enzo so much. He flirts with her, tells her about his life, and they argue about sports."

"Could be." Ichabod agreed. He looked at her hesitantly. "But… There's one thing…." He trailed off, silently hoping that Angie wouldn't be too upset with him.

"What's that?" She sounded concerned.

"You may be upset, and you have a right to be. It just kind of slipped out and I didn't mean it, and -"

Angie rolled her eyes and spoke up, effectively cutting Ichabod off. She didn't want him to work himself up over something that surely wasn't a big deal.

"First off, calm down. Whatever happened can't be that bad. Take a deep breath."

Ichabod did as he was told, and it helped to calm him. Soon enough he felt ready to speak.

"I accidentally told her you had left Steve and we were living in Carla's building. She promised not to tell the family until you are ready. But she also asked me to let you know that the family is only worried about your happiness, and that they will be happy that you have left Steve."

Ichabod looked up at her and continued. "I think I had nothing to do with her sending the furniture. I think it just gave her a way to show you how much she loves you." He backed away, still expecting her to be angry.

Angie's expression remained neutral for a few seconds before she replied.

"It's okay, Ichabod. If she accidentally tells them, it might make it easier for me. And it's very sweet of you to feel that's why she helped us. I prefer to think you charmed her, and you living with me gave her the excuse to help us. But no matter, we had no furniture, and now we will not have to go deeply in debt just to have a place to sit!"

"And sleep!" Ichabod pulled her up off the sofa and pulled out the bed. "No more floor!"

Angie smiled, "Awesome. I'm sure both of our backs will appreciate that!"

Angie suddenly perked up. "Hey old man, did you mention popsicles? Holding out on me, are you?"

"Come, come, we must eat!" Ichabod grabbed Angie's hand, giving her his best Aunt Graciela voice. "I must feed you. Only good little girls get popsicles for dessert."

Angie giggled at his silliness as Ichabod pulled her into the kitchen. He microwaved some leftovers as she pulled out dishes and set the table. Ichabod put the food on the table and gracefully pulled a startled Angie down onto his lap.

"I must feed you." He said very softly, watching her with dark, intense eyes as he slowly and deliberately gave her small bites of the food.

Angie reached out and caressed his cheek, trying to resist the incredibly seductive man in front of her. She wondered if he even realized…and before she could finish the thought, she had pulled him forward and was kissing him. It was so good to be home.

00

Downstairs, Enzo was not having an easy time. He'd assumed that Carla would gladly help him unload the U-Haul. Instead, he found her standing in the doorway, wooden spoon in hand and with a scowl on her face.

"Good evening, Carla," Enzo said, trying to sound as charming as possible. "That's a nice… uh, apron, you have there."

Carla started at him, and began tapping the spoon against her other palm. Enzo swallowed nervously.

"Did you have a good time in Throg's Neck?"

"Probably not as good a time as Ichabod had with Graciela."

A slight grin crossed her face.

Enzo took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, about that…"

"You'd better run," Carla warned him. "I'll give you a five second head start."

"….Fuck," Enzo muttered. He quickly turned on his heels and ran down the hallway, Carla following closely behind. It was just like old times, he thought to himself.

"Crap!" Enzo was out of breath. Carla was catching up to him fast and WHAM! She tackled him to the ground.

"Jeez woman, you had to go and get all skinny, and now I can't outrun you anymore!" Enzo was taking a chance.

"Skinny?" Carla waivered for a moment. Enzo gave himself a mental high five. He had her now. "Skinny?!" Uh Oh! He didn't like that tone of voice.

"Lorenzo Dominick Benito Carlo DeLorenzo, don't you even THINK you can get out of this one by using your charm!" Enzo had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Ok, ok, you got me. Now, what're you gonna do with me? Spank me with a spoon?" Enzo smirked at her and peeked down her blouse. "God, I hope so. Nothin' I like better than a pretty woman on top. Unless that woman is willing to give me a good spanking!"

Carla turned bright red and climbed off. "You owe me," she said sternly. "And you owe Ichabod double. You are just lucky this worked out well for him. Come on, let's unload that truck. It's all I've done today…unload trucks…"

Enzo smirked to himself. Yes! He still had it.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'd like to thank Dionne Dance for all of her help with this. I've decided to post the next two chapters so at least there is some "closure" as to whether or not Angie and Ichabod end up together. I'll proceed from there as best I can.**

Ch. 6

The next few weeks seemed to fly by, at least for Angie and Ichabod. They were now mostly done furnishing their apartment. Ichabod had started his work at the coroner's office, Angie had returned to school and the two had quickly settled into a routine.

Every morning, Angie would get up, get dressed, and pack lunch for herself and Ichabod. Then she would wake Ichabod up. He had an alarm clock, but he clearly preferred being gently touched by Angie. It was a very nice way to start the day.

Ichabod's work started later than Angie's, so she would leave shortly after waking him.

Despite working slightly different schedules, Ichabod made it a point to take lunch when he knew that Angie had a prep period. That way, they could talk for a little bit. It helped break up the day, and he found that even the worst days - when there was an influx of cases and an incredibly hectic schedule - were made better just by hearing Angie's voice.

Angie seemed to appreciate it too. Balancing work while trying to work with the divorce lawyer was difficult and draining for her. Ichabod was a pillar of support in that aspect, as he would always try to find the positive in things.

After becoming intrigued with a folder of recipes he found in Graciela's old desk, Ichabod had begun experimenting with cooking on the days that Angie was out late. He couldn't do anything extravagant yet, but at least she would come home to something warm without having to make it herself. Ichabod seemed to derive pleasure from taking care of her. It was a nice change.

Though it always kept her busy, returning to work had helped Angie mentally. It made her feel normal and less like her life was up in the air. It also gave her something to focus on besides the chaos of the sudden move and divorce proceedings.

Having Enzo close by helped as well. He had moved into a smaller studio apartment down a few floors from where Angie and Ichabod lived. And, of course, everyone still talked to Carla. She had forgiven Enzo for his transgressions, but not before cornering him in the parking lot and hitting him with her spoon a few times.

The group met up on a regular basis, having dinner together at least once each week. Enzo seemed to be going there more often, but he wouldn't admit to it.

00

It was now January 20th. Angie had met with a divorce lawyer, but the actual process of divorce required her to having many more follow up meetings with the man. This one in particular had been frustrating. Angie returned to the apartment feeling like she wanted to scream. However, as she walked down the hall, the smell of something cooking calmed her down. She opened the door to see that Ichabod had set up the coffee table with plates, utensils and glasses. There was even a vase with a rose in it. Angie couldn't help but smile.

"This is very nice, Ichabod," she called out.

Ichabod popped his head out from the kitchen.

"I try. Give me one more minute...I hope you don't mind eating pasta tonight?"

"Of course not. I'm Italian, remember?"

Ichabod chuckled and went back to work getting the meals ready. Meanwhile, Angie kicked off her shoes and let her hair down. She looked at the flower once again. It was a single beautiful red rose. Ichabod walked in while she was smelling it. He smiled.

"I saw them at the corner florist and had to get one," he said, placing a bowl of pasta in front of Angie. He then sat down next to her with his own.

"It's very pretty. Such a nice change from all the gray and snow and ice."

"I'm glad that you approve." Ichabod took another bite of his food, but noticed that Angie wasn't touching hers.

"Is everything alright?" He asked. "Did I cook it incorrectly?"

Angie shook her head, "No, no. I'm sorry. I'm not really hungry. The meeting with Mr. Quarles was pretty tough."

"What happened?"

"Eh. He just asked a ton of questions. Some of them were very personal. I get the idea that he might like me." Angie visibly cringed.

Ichabod put down his fork.

"Was he flirting with you?"

"Yes and no. He asked about our sex life - me and Steve's sex life - and when I told him how we… you know, hadn't done it in over a year, he grinned and said that it was a shame."

Ichabod wrinkled his nose.

"Isn't he seventy years old?"

"Yeah. Ugh. It's really gross even thinking about it. I made it clear that I'm not interested, you know, that I'm happy with things as they are now, and he kind of backed off."

Ichabod half smiled at the compliment.

Angie smiled back.

"It's alright, though. Thanks for listening." She squeezed Ichabod's knee, causing him to laugh.

Angie raised an eyebrow.

"I keep forgetting how ticklish you are."

Then, Angie grinned. She reached over and began tickling Ichabod, on his arms, stomach and chest. He tried his best to fight back, managing to get Angie as well. The two ended up on the floor, Angie crouching on top of Ichabod, who was half-heartedly attempting to shield himself.

"I win!" Angie declared. "Na-ner na-ner!" She stuck her tongue out.

Ichabod did the same, and then a devious look crossed Angie's face.

"What?" Ichabod asked.

"I was just thinking, don't stick out your tongue unless you intend to use it."

Ichabod's eyes got wide. Angie, thinking that she had disturbed him, quickly covered her mouth. Thankfully the awkwardness fell away after a couple of seconds.

Angie got back up and sat down on the couch.

"Soooo. What do you say we watch the news, then?"

"Uh. Alright," Ichabod answered. "That's fine by me."

00

The next day promised to be even longer than the previous one. Angie had to meet with a colleague prior to her first period class to discuss an upcoming trip with one of the English classes.

The first half of the day went well enough, but then another teacher had to go home sick, and Angie was asked to cover for them. This meant that she couldn't take any prep periods, and thus could not talk to Ichabod.

The day only spiraled down from there.

After work she was caught in traffic. Two hours of it. And that wasn't even the worst of all.

She and Ichabod planned to go to the Apple store that evening. Despite being tired, Angie agreed to go.

She drove them down to the store, taking the back roads to avoid the traffic jam. It was brutally cold out, and she stepped out of the car and into a gust of wind.

"Fuck!" She hissed, not caring who heard her.

Ichabod frowned and walked around to the other side of the car. He still had yet to book a session with Carla, preferring to wait until the roads were a bit less icy.

"Here." He took off the scarf he had on and placed it around Angie's neck.

"You don't have to do -" Angie started, but Ichabod shook his head.

"I'm fine. You're cold, so take the scarf."

"...Thanks," Angie replied, "I appreciate it."

Ichabod nodded and the two walked through the lot and made their way inside.

They'd been able to find the computer they wanted easily enough. They'd settled on a 21 inch desktop with more than enough storage for both of them. They'd just gone to find an associate and make their purchase when none other than Steve and Rachela entered the store.

Ichabod had been the first to spot them, and it was his starring that brought Angie's attention to them.

Rachela was hugely pregnant and wearing a pair of maternity jeans that seemed to be stretched way too thin and a bright pink faux fur coat that didn't button. Angie couldn't help but stare at her feet, trying to see the 'hooves' Enzo had mentioned. Of course, she had her hoe heels on. Being pregnant obviously didn't stop her from being a skank.

Steve followed her in. He looked incredibly tired, but Angie couldn't find it in herself to care. If Rachela was making him nuts, then so be it. He deserved it.

The two didn't notice Ichabod and Angie, probably because they were too involved in arguing with each other. Apparently Steve wanted to buy a laptop, but Rachela wanted an ipad so that little Edward had something to play with.

"For the last time, we're NOT naming him Edward!" Steve yelled. "So STOP FUCKING CALLING HIM THAT!"

One of the managers looked at them warily, but it didn't seem to faze them.

"Yeah well we'll see. Anyway, he's gonna need something to play with! Why do you have to be so selfish, wanting a laptop just for yourself? Don't you want him to be smart?"

"For fuck's sake, he's not going to be using a computer right after he's born! We have time for that! We can… We can put on some educational television for the first few months! My parents did that, and I have a goddamn PhD!"

"STOP RAISING YOUR VOICE!" Rachela screamed.

Hearing this, the manager finally made his way over. He quietly asked them to leave, and thankfully, the two obliged.

Though it was a somewhat funny scenario, it made Angie want to cry. She only barely held it back, not wanting to embarrass herself in public. Ichabod could tell that she was upset, though. He said nothing, but took her hand and squeezed it. Angie returned the gesture, and the pair quietly paid for their computer and left.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Again, I'd like to thank Dionne Dance for all of her help with this. I'll proceed from there as best I can.**

Ch. 7

Angie had appreciated Ichabod's gesture. She truly had. After experiencing Thanksgiving with the DeLorenzo clan, he was one of the few people who could truly understand how hurtful and humiliating it was that Steve had left her for his knocked up girlfriend. Her family would probably think that he rightfully left her because she couldn't have kids or something. Without Ichabod, Enzo and Carla, she felt that she probably would've gone insane. Still, there was more drama to come.

Two days later, Mr. Quarles had called Angie to set up yet another appointment, this time to discuss finances, and the meeting had been even worse than the previous one. Having to once again recite the story of her relationship with Steve hurt, especially when it came to describing Steve's affair with Rachela. She knew she had to do it - the amount of money she might get depended on the events of what occurred, but thinking about it all really hurt.

The whole time during the meeting, Angie kept mentally flashing back to the incident at the Apple store. Steve had chosen to have a child with one of the worst people on the planet. Someone selfish and cruel and, in Angie's opinion, disgusting.

This, in turn, made her wonder if she was even worse. If Steve would choose Rachela over her, what did _that _say?

Then she remembered how Ichabod had fainted when she had gone to kiss him. Fainted! How he had frozen when she suggested they spoon to keep warm on that first night in the apartment. She had been forced to reach over and spoon up to his unresponsive body! And, of course, there had been the lawyer - that old, fat, greasy man had hit on her. He must've considered her to be on his level to do so.

Angie had never really thought that she was beautiful, but she hadn't thought that she was hideous either. She considered herself to be rather average. Clearly, though, she was wrong. The realization felt like a punch to the stomach. It also made Angie feel like an ugly, old hag.

Before heading back home, Angie stopped at a Starbucks. She was tired and a coffee would definitely put her in a better mood. While waiting on line, someone called her name. Angie looked around. Standing a few feet away was a familiar face.

The man was someone that she'd gone to school with. They hadn't been particularly close but they had known of each other. His name was Bradley, and he had blonde hair and blue eyes. Back in their school days, Bradley had been more of a jock whereas Angie had been more studious.

The two made small talk while on line, and Bradley ultimately asked Angie if she wanted to go for dinner later on that evening.

The first thing that popped into her head was the fact that she had made plans to have dinner with Ichabod, Carla and Enzo and that it would be wrong to break them.

But goddamn, she was tired, and having a night out with someone different might be really nice. After all she had been through, didn't she deserve it?

Angie made up her mind to push off the dinner with Carla and Enzo in favor of going out with Bradley. Besides them, she would also have to tell Ichabod too.

00

"Hey," Angie greeted him, as she walked through the front door.

Ichabod smiled at her and Angie smiled back, then checked her watch.

"Hey, I know we were planning to eat with Carla and Enzo but something came up. Would you mind going another day?"

Thinking it was something to do with the lawyer or that maybe Angie had some tests to grade, Ichabod agreed.

"That's fine," he said. He could live without putting together more furniture for the time being. That was usually the task that Carla set him to after dinner was served.

"Great!" Angie grinned, before scurrying off to her bedroom. She and Ichabod were sleeping in separate rooms, despite the fact that they did almost everything else together.

Angie emerged half an hour later, wearing a pair of leggings, boots, a tight shirt and a cardigan. She had done her hair and makeup as well.

Ichabod was surprised by her appearance.

"You look nice," he said, staring at her.

"Thank you. I'm going to be out for a little while. Wanna come down to Carla's apartment with me? I have to leave anyway so it's faster than calling her."

"Sure?" Ichabod answered, now confused about what was going on.

He and Angie walked out the door and made their way down to Carla's unit. Angie seemed to be in a hurry as she was walking faster than she usually did. As soon as they were in front of Carla's door, Angie knocked loudly.

"Carla? You there? It's Angie!"

There was the sound of footsteps, then the door opened. Carlita was standing there.

"Hi Angie," She looked at Ichabod and smiled, "Hi Ichabod!"

"Hi Carlita. Is your mom there?"

"Uh-huh. She's in the kitchen with Enzo." Carlita turned around, "Oh, wait. Here she is."

Carla came to the door.

"Hi Angie, Ichabod. What's going on?"

"I know you probably started cooking already, but do you mind if I cancel tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?" Carla looked concerned.

"Do you remember Bradley Collins from school?"

"Blonde jock Bradley?"

"Yeah, blonde jock Bradley. I met him at Starbucks earlier. He just got out of his term doing special ops – he made it all the way up to Lieutenant Colonel! He just came back to Queens! He asked me to go out for dinner tonight so I'd like to go."

Carla's jaw nearly dropped. She had thought that Angie and Ichabod were starting to have a true relationship. From the stunned and hurt look on Ichabod's face, he clearly must have thought that too.

Not knowing what else to say, Carla agreed.

"Um. Okay."

"Thanks!" Angie turned to Ichabod, "I'll see you later."

"Alright," Ichabod replied, still looking like a kicked puppy.

Angie didn't notice it, though. A second later, she walked off.

00

Angie met Bradley at a diner in Hell's Kitchen. The two sat at a booth and ordered some coffee and began to talk.

At first, it went well. Bradley had many interesting stories about his deployments, like how one prison guard was told that he wasn't intimidating enough, so he grew a Hitler mustache and started speaking with a German accent in an attempt to scare the prisoners. It worked.

Or there was the time Bradley and his fellow soldiers had boarded an aircraft carrier to take them to Iraq. They'd gone down for breakfast and the Rear Admiral had joined them. Apparently it was too early for him and the sun was in his eyes. Rather than getting up and moving, he placed a call to the carrier's crew and asked them to turn the boat 20 degrees north. He'd moved the whole ship solely to get the sun out of his eyes.

Of course, Bradley had seen horrible things, too. He didn't mention them besides some vague references, and Angie didn't push.

He had asked Angie about her life and she discussed teaching History. And that's where it had gone to hell.

Bradley didn't agree with most of Angie's thoughts on the subject, even if they were standard historical facts that most schools taught. He wasn't mean about it, but he began to lecture on the subject, and the date began to drag. Angie's mind began to drift. She began to wish she was snuggled up next to Ichabod on the couch watching and discussing the news. She missed spending time with someone who respected her opinions and could admit when he was wrong.

00

Back at the complex, Ichabod had gone back to the apartment he shared with Angie. At first had felt shocked by Angie's actions. Things had been going so well between them! But now he mainly just felt sad and betrayed.

He had hoped that being alone would be a better alternative than embarrassing himself at Carla's apartment. He didn't want the children or Enzo or anyone really to see him as upset as he was.

Over time, though, he realized that being alone just made him feel even worse. At least if he was around Carla and Enzo he would have someone to talk to. Slowly, he made his way back out and down to Carla's apartment. She answered the door immediately when he knocked, and she instantly noticed his expression.

"Oh, Ichabod," she said, softly. "You look like you've been crying."

"No…" he replied.

But then Carla hugged him and he broke down again.

"I don't understand," he whispered, after what felt like forever. Carla let him go. She sighed.

"Angie just… I don't know what Angie's thinking," she admitted.

Carla's response didn't help much but Ichabod managed to calm himself down slightly.

She wrapped an arm around him and led him inside.

"The kids are watching Happy Feet if you want to join them. I know you like that movie," she offered.

Ichabod didn't trust himself to speak more than a few words, so he mumbled an "okay" and followed Carla to the couch.

Carlita, Cosimo and Carlo were all in the room. The twins were lying on their stomachs on the floor.

At first they barely noticed Ichabod's presence, as they were so entertained by the movie. Carlita caught on though.

"What's wrong?" she asked, coming closer to him.

Her question caught the twin's attention and they both sat up and turned around.

Ichabod took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered. The kids wouldn't understand his problems anyway.

They did, however, understand that he was upset about something. Carlo stood up and walked out of the room. He returned a moment later holding a penguin Pillow Pet doll.

"Here you go," he offered the doll to Ichabod.

Ichabod accepted it.

"Petey makes me happy so maybe he'll make you happy too," Carlo explained.

"Thanks, Carlo," Ichabod replied.

He held the doll close to his chest. Having it did make him feel slightly better, oddly enough. He tried his best to focus on the movie. Happy Feet always made him better. Now, though, his thoughts kept turning to Angie. Obviously, he wasn't good enough for her, nor was he what she wanted. He had been stupid to think that there was something more than friendship there. He also wondered what would happen if Angie married the man she was seeing. Would he have to find somewhere else to live? Would this new man even allow them to be friends? Could he bear to just be friends? Ichabod didn't really have any other friends besides Carla and Enzo, and he knew that Enzo would never roommate with him.

With that thought in mind, Ichabod began to feel nervous as well as sad. It was a terrible combination. He felt almost like he couldn't breathe, like he was having the worst panic attack ever except that his body hadn't given out. At least if he fainted, he would have the silent comfort of unconsciousness for a few minutes…

Suddenly, someone called out his name. It was Carla.

Ichabod looked at her. Tears were streaming down his face and he was breathing heavily.

Carla frowned and came over.

"Why don't you come in the kitchen with Enzo and I." She held out her hands to help him up.

Not knowing what else to do, Ichabod walked next to Carla until they reached their destination. Once there, Carla pulled out a chair for Ichabod to sit on. He was thankful for it.

"I told Enzo what happened," Carla said.

"It's alright," Ichabod whispered, resting his head in his hands. "Angie deserves to be happy."

Enzo rolled his eyes.

"Angie feels like shit after Steve left her for the demon lady. Someone paid attention to her so she took it and ran with it. She'll be back."

"I thought she was happy with me," was Ichabod's response. "Everything seemed… I guess I was wrong…" He trailed off.

"She _is_ happy with you. I think she was afraid to move too fast with you, that doing so might scare you."

"Either way, I plan on having words with her," Carla added. "You really seem to care about her. You're a better choice than Mr. Collins over there. He may be a hero but in high school he was a jerk."

"Hey, I was friends with Bradley!" Enzo protested.

"Didn't he used to glue quarters to the ground to watch the girl's butts when they would pick them up? And he put laxatives in Mrs. Burns' coffee."

Enzo laughed, "Yeah, he did. That was funny. The old hag shit her pants right in the middle of fifth period." Then he caught sight of Ichabod again. "But, uh. He was a jerk, yeah. You're right Carla."

Ichabod didn't answer. He wasn't even really paying attention. He was too absorbed in feeling miserable.

Carla rested a hand on his back.

"It'll be okay," she promised.

00

Angie returned to the complex close to midnight. Bradley had talked her ear off for hours yet he never seemed to have anything interesting to say. He was good looking, sure, and she respected him as a veteran, but she didn't think they'd be going on a second date.

She had just entered the building when her phone beeped. She had a text message from Carla.

"Come to my apt", it read.

Angie shrugged and made her way upstairs. When she got to Carla's floor, she was surprised to see Carla standing in the hallway.

"Is everything okay?" Angie asked. She wondered if something had happened inside Carla's apartment.

Carla glared at her.

"Everything is NOT okay. You and I need to have a little talk."

"O…kay. Do you want to go inside?"

"No. The kids are sleeping. Ichabod's in there sleeping too. Finally. He was crying for a good three hours."

Angie raised an eyebrow.

"I don't understand. Did he get hurt?"

Carla looked at her, stunned.

"Are you _that _fucking stupid? You're the one that hurt him!"

"Okay, okay, Christ, you're gonna wake up your neighbors!"

"Fuck my neighbors! You devastated him! After all you've been through I'd have thought you were better than that!"

Angie took a step back, fearing that Carla might take a swing at her.

"Whoa, wait. Calm the fuck down," Angie put her hands up. "He's upset because I went on a date?!"

"The man loves you! Can't you see that?! Did you even look at the necklace he gave you?!"

"The necklace?" Angie looked down at the pendant that hung around her neck. She held it up and noticed that there was an inscription on the back. It read, _'Lost without you'._

It all made sense. What Carla was saying was true.

"He loves me…" Angie repeated. "I wasn't sure what to do."

Carla's expression softened.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't sure if he really liked me or if he was acting that way because… I don't know. He's awkward. Maybe he thought that was how he was supposed to act. And even if he did, I didn't want to scare him off."

"I feel like a total moron." Angie paced the hallway. "I didn't see the inscription. I told Ichabod I thought I knew what he meant when he put it on me."

"He's not from a different planet," Carla replied. "Though… you're right, he is kind of awkward."

Carla looked thoughtful. "It's been obvious to me that Ichabod is crazy about you since that day at the ice rink. When I told him the two of you would be good together, he turned bright red, and said he didn't think you would be open to that this early in the breakup."

Angie stepped back and looked at Carla. "You think he's been interested in me romantically for that long?"

Angie was confused. Her mind had been in such a fog since Halloween. Ichabod thought she knew that he loved her since Christmas? How long had he felt this way? It had taken him a while to make that pendant at school. What did he think of her now?

She cringed, now recognizing that Ichabod had been trying in his own shy way to move their relationship forward. He had to feel that she was playing with his emotions.

"He's probably really confused," she finally said.

Seeing the cringe, Carla's face turned red with frustration. "You ARE that fucking stupid! Even Enzo noticed he was mooning over you the day you guys made cookies. ENZO! Are you so tied up in self-pity that you can't see what's right in front of your eyes?"

Carla took several deep breaths, attempting to calm down. "Enzo actually tried to reassure Ichabod tonight. ENZO! I'm going to tell you this one time, Angela DeLorenzo Warner, so you need to listen with BOTH ears! If you don't grab onto that sensitive, handsome, WONDERFUL man, and hold tight with both arms, SOMEBODY is gonna take him away from you…fast. If I wasn't so crazy about your idiot brother, I'd snatch him away from your undeserving ass myself."

Angie got very quiet, thinking back on the many times, even while Steve was still around, that Ichabod had been right there for her when she needed emotional support. How he had seemed almost jealous of the attention she had given Enzo during that first visit. How he had not seemed eager to leave when the experimental machine was completed.

Carla had finally expended most of her anger and continued calmly. "Hey, didn't you say he grew up with missionaries, that his dad was a minister?"

"Yeah, right," Angie said, remembering the conversation they'd had a few weeks prior at the restaurant.

"Some of those remote areas are really conservative…and have very severe penalties for adultery. He may be guilting himself for having feelings for you while you are still technically a married woman."

Angie quickly looked up at Carla. "That would explain a lot. I never meant to hurt him. And by the way, I had already decided that I'm definitely not going to see Bradley again. All I did tonight was wish I was home with Ichabod."

"Well you'd better go tell Ichabod that. He was really upset, Angie."

Angie nodded.

"Yeah, I will. Where is he?" She pushed open the door.

"I let him sleep in my room since I was planning to stay up. It's more comfortable there."

"Okay." Angie walked inside.

She found the door to Carla's room relatively quickly. The lights were off, but the moonlight coming through the window allowed her to see that Ichabod was on the bed, curled up and holding… a penguin to his chest? Angie shook her head, thinking that she was seeing things wrong.

Angie sat down on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed Ichabod's arm to wake him up.

"Huh?" he asked, turning over. When he saw Angie's face, he sat up.

Even in the poorly lit room, Angie could see that Ichabod's eyes were puffy.

Carla had been telling the truth about him crying.

"You can lie back down. I just came to tell you that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you and I won't be seeing Bradley again."

Ichabod blinked, surprised by Angie's statement.

"Carla told me what happened, and how upset you were, and how you feel about me, and I feel that way about you too," she continued.

"But then why did you –" Ichabod started, but Angie shook her head.

"Bradley paid attention to me. Steve hadn't said much of a kind word to me in months, but Bradley did. It's hard to explain… It made me feel good. Like I was still attractive and wanted."

"Ah. Enzo said that was the reason."

"Enzo was right. He knows me. Again, I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if you liked me… like that. God, I feel like such a kid…" she sighed, "But I think it's clear… It's clear that we both have feelings for each other, and… and if you want… Maybe we can be more than friends."

Ichabod felt his heartbeat speed up again. He briefly wondered if he was dreaming but then decided that he wasn't.

"Of course I want that," he whispered.

Angie smiled and hugged him. Ichabod hugged her back.

"I'm lucky to have you," she said.

"I'm lucky to have you too," Ichabod replied.


End file.
